WARRIORS: The Sky Splits: Sacrifices
by JamiePaul
Summary: "As the storm dies, a flaming hatred with split the sky in two." Follow Onekit as she struggles through life as a SkyClan cat; made an apprentice to a mentor who hates her, trying and failing to connect with her clanmates, and finding out what horror lies behind this foreboding prophecy.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: Erin Hunter owns all rights to Warriors and SkyClan, I simply own the right to my O.C.'s.**_

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**ALLEGIANCES**

**SkyClan**

**LEADER:** Hollystar: a fluffy black she-cat with dark amber eyes and white paws.

**DEPUTY:** Graytail: a blue-gray and black tom with a solid blue-gray tail and blue eyes.

**MEDICINE CAT:** Lichenpelt: a shaggy ginger tom with dark green eyes,

Apprentice; Berrybird.

**WARRIORS:** Dapplefeather: a large golden-brown marble she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice; Spiderpaw,

Crowheart: a lanky gray-black tom with stone gray eyes,

Molefur: a small black and white with dark amber eyes,

Applefrost: a pale ginger tabby and white she-cat with green eyes,

Jayspot: a small mottled gray tabby and white dark green eyes

Apprentice; Foxpaw,

Leafheart: a ginger tabby and white tom with leafy-green eyes,

Volenose: a golden-brown tom with a darker splash on muzzle with amber eyes,

Streamheart: a beautiful silver tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes,

Oakstep: a golden-brown tom with white legs and green eyes,

Nightfur: a small black she-cat with dark blue eyes,

Mistyleaf: a fluffy gray and black tabby she-cat with leaf-green eyes,

Redpatch: a fluffy cream-colored tom with a single russet patch and amber eyes

Apprentice; Shortpaw.

**QUEENS:** Harefur: a small, pale-brown tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes

Mother of Crowheart's Kits; Blackkit(black tom), Patchkit(pale brown tom), and Onekit(tawny she-cat),

Dustfoot: a brown tabby she-cat with lighter cream paws and green eyes

Expecting Kits.

**APPRENTICES:** Berrybird: a small, cream-colored she-cat with darker flecks and blue eyes,

Foxpaw: a fluffy russet tabby tom with dark amber eyes and white paws,

Shortpaw: a small, fluffy white tom with dark blue eyes,

Spiderpaw: a small, gray and white she-cat with pale green-blue eyes.

**ELDERS:** Poppystripe: an elderly golden tabby she-cat with pale, blind blue eyes,

Rockheart: a shaggy gray tom with dark amber eyes,

Snowfur: a small, fluffy white tom with chilling, icy blue eyes.

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PROLOGUE

_The wind blew fiercely through the sparse yet lush green trees_, the tall grass swayed to and fro and in circles as the winds played with it. Two cats, a blue-gray she-cat and a white tom, slipped out of the grass into a clearing where another cat, a beautiful silver tabby, was seemingly waiting for them. All three of the cats had stars littering their pelts and dancing in their eyes. The silver tabby looked a bit worried, her concern flickering between the stars in her deep blue eyes. But, at the sight of the two warriors, the silver she-cat's eyes lit up and a purr rose in her throat.

"Bluesong, Whitefang, I'm glad you came." the silver tabby dipped her head respectfully as she greeted the two warriors. She stood up and peered at the grass behind them, "Is Birdflight coming?"

"He should be on his way, Silverstar." the tom, Whitefang, mewed uneasily. The mention of Birdflight always seemed to make him uncomfortable.

"We don't have much time…" Bluesong said in a quiet, thoughtful voice. Her starry blue eyes scanned the trees as the wind caressed their leaves. The ex-medicine cat was always rather quiet, never speaking much louder than a whisper, and mostly kept to herself.

"Don't get your tail in knot, I'm coming." came a gruff, sarcastic voice before a large black and white tom emerged from the swaying grass. Whitefang and the newcomer shared an uneasy yet hateful glare as their amber eyes met.

"Good, let's get going." Silverstar said decisively, not wanting a fight to break out between the two rival toms. It was because of their hatred of each other she hadn't invited Lightsong, though she'd desperately wanted to. The two had hated each other both in life and in death, for each blamed the other for the death of the she-cat they both had loved.

Silverstar lead the way to a small copse of oak trees that surrounded a small, clear blue pond that had stars floating in its depths. Each cat took a seat around the starry pool while Silverstar hopped on top of a log at the head of the pond. All of the cats looked uneasy, Bluesong and Silverstar both glanced at Birdflight and Whitefang as they glared at each other from opposite sides of the still waters.

"I know you're all wondering why I've asked you to come," Silverstar began, looking at each warrior thoughtfully, "Well, it's about the future of SkyClan." Before she could continue, Birdflight stood.

"Oh great, we get to watch some mouse-brained, stuck-up so-called 'hero' decide the fate of a clan we all died to keep alive." the tom growled dryly, glaring cockily at nothing in particular. The fur along Whitefang's neck and shoulders rose as he glared at the black and white tom.

"Why don't you just keep your mouth shut for once, you mangy fox-heart?" Whitefang snarled. His white tail lashed, his ears flattened against his skull, and his long, deadly claws sunk into the soft earth. The black and white tom opened his mouth to snap a nasty remark.

"SILENCE!" Bluesong snarled, louder than seemingly possible for the small she-cat, and both toms instantly fell silent. All four of these cats had died in a battle with a large gang of rogues that had killed several warriors, apprentices, and even their leader, Silverstar. The group had attempted to drive SkyClan from the gorge. Despite this bond, the two toms had an undying hatred for each other.

"Thank you, Bluesong." Silverstar flicked her ear in acknowledgement and continued, "The future of SkyClan actually has nothing to do with a 'hero,' as you call it," Birdflight pointedly looked at his paws. Silverstar looked down at the starry pool and, slowly, the other cats followed her gaze. The clear waters suddenly portrayed a ferocious storm, lightning flashed in the clouds and thunder roared. The storm raged on until suddenly a torrent of flames broke through and took over the water. The silence of the copse was pierced by screams of agony and shrieks of hopeless terror. All three cats flinched and Silverstar closed her eyes, slowly she half opened them.

"_As the storm dies, a flaming hatred with split the sky in two."_

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_Sorry guys, _I know it's short, but prologues are difficult for me. Anyway, feel free to flame as long as you point out what's wrong, not just say 'it sucks.' And please review! Oh, there about to be some kits who need names and descriptions, if you want to send me a character just post it in the review!

-Jamie Paul


	2. Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

"Can't catch me!" a little black tom snapped playfully before speeding across the sandy gorge, his green eyes gleaming with mischief. The sky was darkening to a wondrous shade of violet teased with scarlet that stained the few clouds various shades of either. The air was moving in a noticeable yet comforting breeze that played with the leaves of the sparse trees and grass while tossing up occasional clouds of dust.

"Blackkit!" a pale brown tabby she-cat called worriedly, "Come back here!" Beside her, two pale brown kits sat close together with their tails twined, yet there was no sense of romance between the two. The two shared their mother's tawny fur and blue eyes, but there were obvious differences between the two. The tom's pale fur was patched with slightly darker blotches and his toes were white while the she-cat's tawny pelt was streaked with barely visible tabby markings and one paw was a cream color, the tom's eyes were a shade of pale blue but were clouded and unfocused while the she-cat's were a much darker shade of blue and much, much more alert.

"Ah, but meetings are so boring!' the fluffy tom complained as he bounded back to his mother and littermates, "Besides, we're not old enough to catch our own prey." The little tawny she-cat was about to open her mouth to make a smart remark but closed it as a black warrior approached the group, stone gray eyes fixed on her brother.

"You shouldn't speak to Harefur like that." the tom said icily, Blackkit froze as his father padded around him to sit with the tawny queen, "Respect is one of the most important qualities of a warrior."

"He's still a kit, Crowheart, he'll learn in time." Harefur purred, Onekit looked away as her parents nuzzled each other. Those two acted like moon-struck apprentices sometimes.

"Can Onekit and I go sit closer to Rockpile, Harefur?" Patchkit asked quiet politely, his mother licked the little tom's ear in response.

"Of course you can, but don't go too far." the queen mewed.

"And don't get under any cat's paws!" their father called as Onekit lead her brother into around cats and rocks alike. Patchkit was blind but he had a knack for sensing what the cats around him were feeling, he'd known Onekit found it awkward to be with their parents and had decided to save her. Harefur spoiled the little patched tom to no end, every cat knew it.

"Thanks." she said quietly, he only grinned in response. Patchkit and Onekit walked with their tails twined and shoulders pressed together so she could guide him, it was strange to other cats, but to them it was perfectly normal. Finally the two perched on a flat, yet raised rock where if Patchkit stumbled off he wouldn't hurt himself but Onekit could see better.

"Today, one of our clanmates has informed me he is ready to join the elders." the cats of SkyClan looked amongst themselves, confusion glittering in the sea of eyes. Onekit caught sight of Lichenpelt, the medicine cat, sitting not many rocks below Hollystar.

"Lichenpelt," there was a collective gasp but the black she-cat continued, "Is it your wish to give up the name of medicine cat and join the elders?"

"It is." He said in his calm, polite voice.

"Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given us," she leaped down to touch noses with the ginger tom, "I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest." The Clan chanted his name and many cats touched noses with him as he made his way from Rockpile, heading to join the other elders, who were just outside their den, "Resume your duties." Hollystar ordered before going to her deputy, Graytail. Cats milled out of the camp as if eager to leave, Onekit stared with narrowed eyes at the now-elder tom. She knew Lichenpelt was old, but he still had many seasons ahead of him. Then it occurred to her, Patchkit could never be anything other than a medicine cat or elder, so by letting Berrybird become medicine cat that left the position of medicine cat available. She shook her head and stood.

"Come on, we should get back=" she was cut off as a blur of black barreled into her and knocked her off the rock. She and Blackkit rolled around in the sand as they battered at each other with their paws.

"You guys are mouse-brains." Patchkit said, joking, as he awkwardly got down from his perch. Onekit broke away from her brother just as Harefur and Crowheart approached/ She shot and icy glare at Blackkit who easily returned it just before their parents arrived.

"You two need to go back to the nursery," Crowheart said as Harefur rested her tail on Patchkit's shoulders, then he turned his attention to the tom, "Hollystar needs to see you." Onekit and Blackkit could only watch as their parents lead their brother to the fluffy black she-cat's den. When their family had disappeared they glared at each other. They had never really liked each other; Blackkit was rude, noisy, competitive, and rambunctious while Onekit was a quiet, shy, calm cat who used as few words as possible. The one thing they shared was the dislike of each other, though neither really knew or understood why.

"Race you." He snapped and took off, Onekit tearing at his heels.

"Cheater!" Onekit snapped as they skidded to a halt at the entrance of the nursery.

"Slow poke!" he retorted, his black fur bristling.

"Dog-breath!" she growled, ears flattening.

"Fleapelt!" he snapped back, each of the kit's neck fur rose and Onekit opened her mouth to make a nasty reply.

"They're coming!" a panicked, pained yowl cut the bickering siblings off.

"Who's coming?" Blackkit asked, confusion darkening his green eyes.

"Her kits, mouse-brain!" Onekit snapped and sped back down the path she'd just raced up. Blackkit, after mimicking her, bolted after her and the two toppled over each other into the medicine den.

"Dustfoot…kits…coming!" Blackkit managed as the two, gasping for air, tried to disentangle themselves.

"Grab some moss, soak it in water, and get a stick." Berrybird said calmly before grabbing a bundle of herbs and racing out of the den. When the two broke apart they each went to grab one of the two items ordered.

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"A healthy tom and she-cat!" Berrybird announced as the exhausted Dustfoot bent over to groom the two kits. She looked at them affectionately, Onekit peered around the brown tabby queen to get a better look. The tom was small and had fluffy golden=brown and white fur while his sister had brown tabby fur like her mother with random splashes of cream.

"What are you gonna name them?" Patchkit asked from their nest, the three had gotten to big to share a nest with Harefur but still shared one with each other.

"Well, I'm not sure yet." Dustfoot said, tiredness clear in her mew. Onekit walked back over to their nest and glanced around, Berrybird had slipped out apparently undetected.

"The she-cat could be something like Creamkit." Blackkit offered lightly, looking at the kits with curious green eyes. The little she-cat rolled onto her back and sneezed.

"Or Sneezekit," Dustffot joked lightly, "I think she will be named Creamkit, and the tom will be Lionkit." She said decisively, curling her tail protectively around her kits and tucking her nose into her paws.

"Want me to go get you some fresh-kill, Dustfoot?" Harefur offered kindly, but the tabby queen had already fallen asleep.

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Creamy light crept into the den as the sun began it's slow ascent into the sky, the camp was quiet other than the soft sound of the dawn patrol's paws heading out of the gorge. Onekit slowly opened her eyes, then her jaws parted into a wide yawn. Now that she and her siblings were six moons old, their mother had returned to warrior duties. In the past three moons, Lionkit and Creamkit had grown extremely fast, Nightfur had moved into the nursery and given birth to four rambunctious kits, and Mistyleaf had joined the queens expecting kits of her own, so the little den was crowded.

"Are you awake, Onekit?" a voice made her jump, she hadn't even realized Sootkit, one of Nightfur's kits, staring at her with wide golden eyes. The tom had a fluffy pelt that was a strange dark gray, almost black, color and stuck out at almost every angle and wide, expressive golden eyes.

"Yeah…" she said quietly, trying not to wake her denmates.

"Will you show me around camp?" the little tom asked pleadingingly.

"I don't think Nightfur would approve-"

"Oh…" the little black tom looked crestfallen, she couldn't stand it. Those golden eyes, no other tom in the clan had them, neither did his mother or any of his siblings, so where had he gotten them? She sighed.

"If Nightfur says it's okay-"

"Thank you!" he instantly perked up and nudged his mother. She opened one eye half way at the tom's prodding, "Can Onekit show me around camp?" he asked with that same pleading expression.

"If she's willing." Nightfur said, sitting up and yawning. The black she=cat's movements had woken the other kits.

"I wanna go too!" came an indignant squeal from his tortoiseshell sister, Fernkit. She and all three of her siblings bounced over.

"What's going on?" Patchkit asked sleepily, half opening his eyes.

"Onekit said she'd show us the camp!" Fernkit crowed, Sootkit nodded eagerly.

"I'll come along." Patchkit said with a meaning smile to Onekit, she sighed in relief. Nightfur's kits were a handful all at once, Patchkit's help was much appreciated. Without even thinking about it the two twined tails and lead the group of kits out of the nursery.

"Why do you two walk like that?" Firekit, one of Sootkit's brothers, asked with curiosity in his blue eyes. His ginger fur stood out harshly against the rocky walls of the gorge. Onekit opened her mouth to snap at the tom but Patchkit cut her off.

"Because I can't see, so Onekit guides me." He explained calmly, that was what would make Patchkit a great mentor; he was so patient and not easily offended, even if he was he'd never show it. Onekit on the other hand would've told the tom that it was rude to ask questions like that and to mind his own business, but Patchkit seemed to encourage the ginger tom's curiosity. She was almost jealous…_Almost._

"Er, up there-" she pointed with her nose to the highest den in the gorge, "-is the warriors' den."

"That's gonna be our den soon!" Fernkit announced like the snobby furball she was, Sootkit and Firekit stared at it in total wonder.

"Can we go look?" Toadkit, the final tom of the four, asked, unable to hide the excitement from his voice.

"Most of the warriors are still asleep," Patchkit explained calmly, "We don't want to disturb them, so maybe later." He promised and flicked his ears towards the nearest den, "That's the apprentices' den."

"How can you tell? You can't see it." Fernkit snapped, staring disbelievingly at the tawny and brown patched tom.

"Because he knows the scent better than you mouse-brains." Came a growl as a fluffy white tom emerged. He glared at Fernkit with cold blue eyes, "You should listen to Patchkit, just because he's blind doesn't make him any less of a cat, nor does it make him any less intelligent." The snowy tom scolded, Fernkit hung her head with frustrated embarrassment.

"Who are you?" Sootkit asked in a polite, yet very brave manner.

"Shortpaw." He said gruffly, Shortpaw was intimidating. He was very lean and had a torn ear, he held himself proudly and seemingly fearlessly, his dark blue eyes were cold and apthetic, and he was rumored to be one of the best fighters in the clan.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Rockpile for a Clan meeting!' the familiar yowl made the older cats look while the younger four jumped.

"C'mon." Onekit said and the group headed down to the clearing. Onekit and Patchkit perched on their usual rock while Blackkit and Creamkit dashed by, followed more slowly by Lionkit, who almost immediately went to join Sootkit and his siblings.

"Today is a proud day for SkyClan," Hollystar said, loud enough for all the cats to hear, "Blackkit, Patchkit, Onekit, please step forward." Onekit, shocked, scrambled with her brothers to stand below Rockpile. She and Patchkit separated but stood close.

"These kits have reached the age of six moons and have earned the right to train to be SkyClan warriors," Hollystar continued, "So from this moment on, Blackkit, Onekit, until you receive your warrior names you shall be known as Blackpaw and Onepaw." the leader's amber eyes grazed the crowd of cats for a moment, "Oakstep, though you've never trained an apprentice you're a brilliant hunter and quite patient, you shall mentor Blackpaw."

"I won't let you down, Hollystar." Oakstep vowed as he touched noses with his apprentice. The clan cheered Blackpaw's new name proudly.

"Dapplefeather,"_ Oh no, no no no…_ Onepaw thought,_ Any cat but her!_ "You trained Spiderfall into a fine young warrior, I expect you to do the same with Onepaw."

"I will." Dapplefeather said as she stepped forward to touch noses with her apprentice, Onepaw hesitated but the clan cheered loudly anyway.

"Patchkit," all attention returned to Hollystar, "Is it your wish to train as a medicine cat?"

"Yes." Patchkit said, any other cat would find it believable, but Onepaw knew better.

"Then, at the half-moon, Berrybird will take you to have a proper ceremony, and from this moment on you shall be known as Patchpaw." the patched tom touched noses with Berrybird and the clan cheered.

"BLACCKPAW! ONEPAW! PATCHPAW!" as the cheers died down, Dapplefeather looked expectantly at her tawny apprentice. Onepaw had never like the cocky, ambitious she-warrior. Dapplefeather was fierce, probably the fiercest and most ambitious cat in the clan. She suddenly narrowed her amber eyes.

"We start training, now." And with that she took off, out of the gorge, at top speed, leaving her apprentice to scramble after the dappled warrior. By the time they were out of the gorge, Onepaw had caught up and was having trouble catching her breath, but Dapplefeather continued on relentlessly.

"Keep up." The dappled she-cat growled every now and again, making Onepaw more frustrated each time. They ran and didn't stop for what felt like moons, Onepaw felt every muscle in her screaming in protest as they burned and just as she was ready to collapse, Dapplefeather came to a sudden halt. Onepaw sat down, panting heavily and lowering her head with exhaustion. They'd literally run from dawn to sun-high.

"Are you done?" Dapplefeather asked as though she were making dirt right in front of the dappled warrior, Onepaw glared spitefully at her mentor who smirked, "Good, then we can begin training." the golden-brown she-cat snatched a clump of moss off a tree with her claws and raced up another. After securing the moss to a high branch, she leaped down.

"Get it." she said venomously. Onepaw stared at it for a moment before getting shakily to her paws, "Oh, without climbing the tree." Dapplefeather added with a dark smile. The tawny apprentice stared at her in disbelief for a moment, the stared up at the moss. It was attached, very securely, to a branch at least two fox-lengths above her head.

"How?" she asked incredulously. Her mentor rolled her eyes like she was talking to a newborn kit, the dappled warrior was making her even madder.

"Grow wings and fly up there." she sneered, then cuffed her apprentice over the ears and scoffed, "Jump for it." Onepaw couldn't believe what she was hearing, she stared up at the moss, shot another hateful glare at her mentor, and crouched down. She had long leg and Blackpaw had always challenged her to contests of seeing who could jump the highest up the rock wall, but this was ridiculous. Finally she leapt and lashed out her claws, missing by at least a fox-length and a half.

"That was pathetic, Onekit." her mentor growled, "Again." Onepaw felt rage building up in her, she leapt again, missed again, leapt again, missed again, and she didn't stop until the sun began to vanish on the horizon. Each time she jumped she received a sarcastic remark from her mentor. Finally, as she crouched down, completely exhausted and barely able to stand, Dapplefeather growled.

"Let's go, you're not getting anywhere with this."

"I'm not done." Onepaw snapped, eyes focused on the moss. She could feel the anger radiating from Dapplefeather like a chill from ice, but she kept her focus. She'd show that stuck up fox-heart she wasn't pathetic.

"We'll come back tomorrow." Dapplefeather snapped, tail lashing.

"Then come back tomorrow." Onepaw retorted, she leapt again. Her claws raked the air a fox length from the moss as soon as her paws touched the ground the much larger, very muscular she-warrior tackled her apprentice, knocking the breath from the tawny she-cat.

"We're going back to camp, I don't mind dragging you the entire way." Dapplefeather snarled maliciously yet in a menacingly low tone, "Show some respect for your mentor, Onekit, or I won't be so kind on your next assignment." Onepaw couldn't do anything but stare angrily at her mentor, her hateful blue gaze holding the infuriated amber glare. Dapplefeather stalked off and left Onepaw to catch up.

The two arrived at camp and immediately went separate ways, Onepaw easily found the apprentice den and found Shortpaw dozing in a nest. He opened one of his dark blue eyes as she entered.

"That's your nest." he said, half asleep, and flicked his ear towards a nest next to his. The white tom seemed to fall back asleep immediately.

"Thanks." she said, though she was sure the gruff tom hadn't heard her. She signed and curled into her nest, feeling more lonely than she ever had without Patchpaw. It didn't take long for the exhausted she-cat to fall asleep. She slept so heavily that when she heard a now familiar growl, she felt like she'd just closed her eyes.

"Onepaw, get up already."

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_Question_, does anyone **LIKE **Dapplefeather? Haha, but anyone, there are going to be two (or three) kits who are about to need names and descriptions, so post if you want. Feel free to flame as long as you're telling me what's wrong, not just telling me I wrote a bad story. Anyway, please review!

-Jamie Paul


	3. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

_"Is that the best you can do, Onekit?"_ Dapplefeather growled. This was their fourth sunrise of training, and Onepaw quite literally meant sunrise. Dapplefeather would wake the tawny apprentice before dawn, drag her out to some StarClan forsaken place in the middle of who knows where, and drill her until after sun-down. Each day after her training session with the moss had been nothing but battle training and a little bit of hunting. Onepaw gritted her teeth as her mentor cuffed her hard across the ears, "I've seen kittypets with more talent!"

Onepaw lunged for her mentor, only for the warrior to side-step and cuff her ears for the umpteenth time. Onepaw lashed out with both front paws, barely missing her mentor's face, before having to duck another blow aimed at her ears. She retaliated by dashing her mentor and shoving upwards, toppling the she-cat over and leaping back as the dappled warrior lashed out with her back legs. Dapplefeather rolled onto her paws and Onepaw tried to keep from panting, not wanting to give her mentor the pleasure of knowing she was struggling.

"Do you need to go back to the nursery?" Dapplefeather taunted, lunging for her apprentice who barely dodged, "You'll never be a warrior." the dappled warrior snarled and lashed out, paws barely missing her apprentice's muzzle. "You're almost as pathetic as you medicine cat brother." Rage coursed through Onepaw, filling her all the way to the tips of her tawny fur. Before her mentor could react, the apprentice barreled into her chest, knocked her over, and pinned her. Her claws unsheathed of the she-cat's throat, but she stopped, thinking of Patchpaw.

"Touchy." Dapplefeather sneered and kicked her off, much harder than necessary. As both cats got to their paws, Onepaw felt hatred for her mentor and nothing but. Dapplefeather glared at her with that cocky, demeaning glare of hers and Onepaw shot her one icy glare back, "That's enough for today."

Onepaw grudgingly followed after her mentor as they trotted through the forest. Dapplefeather was happy with what she'd done and that's the only reason they weren't sprinting, not that she couldn't have kept up. Onepaw had grown quite surprisingly for only four sun-rises, she'd gotten leaner, much leaner than Blackpaw, and even a bit taller. She sighed, wishing she had gone through with the move and ripped out the dappled warrior's throat. The she-cat hadn't given her a break from training, as a result she barely ate because she always came back to her den and passed out from exhaustion, only to be rudely awakened at the crack of dawn to do it all over again. She hadn't even had time to talk to her brother or the other apprentices because she was always much too exhausted.

"I want you to go back to camp and get some rest and some food," Dapplefeather said in her venomous voice, "Hollystar wants us to go to Skyrock for the gathering so you need to look your best."

Onepaw didn't need to be told twice, she raced off, away from her mentor and into the tall grass. She sighed as she felt far away enough to slow down. She sat down near a tall birch tree, hidden by the long, pale green grass. She thought about the time she'd seen her first tree up close, Blackkit had boasted he could beat Onekit up the tree only to be scolded by their father about how they would both break their necks. She sighed, she hadn't wanted to because Patchkit couldn't.

There was a sudden noise that sounded exactly like a barn owl's hoot, it snapped her out of her thoughts and she jumped to her paws. Her claws unsheathed as she looked up, finding a pair of large orange eyes less than a tail length in front of her.

"What in StarClan's name?!" she screeched and toppled backwards. A small, dark brown she-cat rose up very slowly. Her fur had a black pattern much like the pattern one would find on an owl, she was small and compact, her tail was nothing more than a stub, and she had very large, very round eyes. The she-cat frowned and flattened her dark brown ears.

"Sorry…" she mumbled after a moment, looking at her paws. The she-cat seemed to be thinking over every little thing, eyes focusing and un-focusing and then re-focusing, Onepaw shook her head and got onto her paws. The whole focusing thing was unsettling.

"Hoot!" another voice came, and suddenly a much lankier black she-cat followed a small mottled ginger and brown she-cat. The dark brown she-cat moved to stand by her companions.

"Who are you?" Onepaw growled, the black she-cat looked up at her with eerily familiar golden eyes. Onepaw almost yelped in shock, she was like an older version of Sootkit. They had the same lanky build and dark fur as Nightfur but fierce, expressive golden eyes.

"I'm Brindle, this is my sister Hoot, and our friend Viper." the mottled she-cat announced, holding herself proudly. Her icy blue gaze locked with Onepaw's, "Who are you?"

"Onepaw, and you're trespassing on SkyClan territory!" she snapped, she stood taller than Brindle and Hoot, but Viper had long enough legs to make most of the warriors feel short. Her long, black legs gave her a spider like appearance, each of her paws had white toes and her long, slender tail was tipped with white.

"Onepaw? You have four paws! And what is a SkyClan?" Onepaw could tell she wasn't going to like this she-cat already.

"It's a clan name, SkyClan is my clan, and a clan is a group of cats who defend and care for each other." Onepaw explained, tail tip flicking irritably. Viper watched Onepaw closely, golden eyes seeming to stare into the depths of her soul. It made the tawny apprentice uncomfortable. "You need to go."

"Or what?" Viper asked, the two glared at each other for a moment, Onepaw was outmatched and knew it, what could she do?

"Or you'll have to deal with us." came a familiar gruff voice, _Shortpaw!_ The white tom, Spiderfall, and Redpatch stepped out of the grass. They must have been on a patrol and heard the argument, either way, Onepaw was grateful they showed up.

"They can't be much older than apprentices..." Redpatch said thoughtfully, Spiderfall nodded.

"We'll take them to Hollystar." she mewed.

* * *

_Sorry its so short!_ My laptop was broken so I was using a friend's but she had to leave so I had to rush... Kits are still open, a gray and black tabby she-cat and a black and white tom are the parents, I was think only one kit, maybe two. Read, review, even flame.

Jamie Paul


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